Shoe shaper



` F. CALABRESE May 26, 1936.

SHOESHAPER Filed March l, 1935 v JNVENTOR. @an A Ca/a resq BY j fmur ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to so-called shoe trees used for maintaining the Shapes of footwear of all kinds, and it has for its main object to provide a pneumatically operated shoe Shaper which can 5 be inserted in a piece of footwear and inflated to t into every part of the footwear. Another object is to so construct the device that it may be used for preventing the footwear from shrinking after being dyed or after otherwise becoming wet.

A further object is to provide means on the device whereby certain, particular parts of the footwear may be stretched, as desired. Additional objects are to provide a foot Shaper which will occupy but small space when not in use, which can be inserted in the footwear and made to conform to its shape under all conditions, and which can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

These and various other objects and advantages will be readily understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawing in which, however, modifications may be made without departing from the Scope of the appended claims. In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a shoe in which the device has been inserted and inflated,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same shoe shown with a part broken away, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a certain part used in connection with the device.

Referring now to all the views, simultaneously, a shoe is Shown at I and the shoe Shaper at II. The shoe Shaper is made of resilient material, such as soft rubber, and shaped approximately to the shoe or other footwear in which it is to be used. It is provided with an air valve I2 through which it may be inflated with an ordinary air pump.

The air valve is so attached that it will be in the approximate center of the top opening in the shoe.

Normally, the shoe Shapers are inserted in the shoes and inflated until all Wrinkles and creases are straightened out, after which they are left in the shoes until the Shoes are to be worn. However, there are times when it is desirable to stretch a shoe beyond its normal shape in Some particular place, as for example to avoid pressure on an enlarged toe joint. In such an instance an adhesive pad, as for example the pad shown at I3, is secured on the Shoe Shaper and a strap I4 is secured over the top opening in the shoe.

This strap, which is plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, consist of a central member I5 and two end members I6 and I'I. The central member is shaped to fit over and close the top opening in the shoe, while the end members are drawn under the breast of the shoe where they are strapped by means of a buckle I8, secured in one end member, 5 and a plurality of holes, punched in the other end member. With this strap in place the shoe Shaper may be heavily inflated so that the shape of the pad will effectively mold itself in the Shoe.

The Strap may also be used to prevent the shoe 10 from shrinking, as for example after they have been dyed or become saturated with water. In drying Shoes the Shoe Shaper also serves another useful purpose in that it effectively closes the top opening in the shoe and thus prevents any dye from soiling the shoe lining. With shoes which have openings in the instep, as is often the case in ladies shoes, I prefer to add a reenforcing pad on the inside of the shoe Shaper. With this pad, and the strap I4 in place, the Shoe shaper 20 may be inflated as heavily as desired.

In Fig. 2 the Strap I4 is shown permanently secured to the shoe Shaper by being clamped under the air valve washer 2 I. However, the Strap may also be made as a separate part, as shown in Fig. 3. In such cases a hole 22 is provided which fits over the air valve.

While I have illustrated and described the shoe Shaper in connection with a low shoe, it will of course be understood that it may be used with all kinds of footwear.

Having described my invention and its objects, what I claim as new and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

A device of the class described comprising an air-tight resilient bag formed substantially in the shape of the piece of footwear in which it is to be employed and of such size that it will completely fill the interior of the footwear, as well as seal the edge of the opening thereof, when inflated; an air valve inserted in the top of the bag through which the bag may be inflated or deflated; a strap for covering the opening in the footwear; means associated with said strap for tightening it on the footwear; and reinforcing pads secured inside of said bag and aligned with any openings formed in the upper of the footwear to prevent excessive bulking of the bag through such openings.

FRANK CALABRESE. 

